Rotor operated washing nozzle



July 3, 1945- w. D. YERRICK ET AL 2,379,506

RoToR oPERA'rED WASHING NozzLE Filed Aug. 15 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 BY y A L July 3, 1945- w. D. YERRICK ET AL Y KOTOR 'OPERATED WASHING NOZZLE Filed Aug. 13, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Y Jaim f mwa/1d WM.. l

E770/MEV Patented July 3, 1945 v' 1. f.- i

ville.' N. Y., assgnors to The'Air Preheater Corporation, New-York, N. Y. f t

` Application Angustia, 1943'. serially@ 498,498 f 1 claim. (omai-:1)

lIhepresent invention relatesto heat transfer apparatus and particularly to `improveddevices for cleaningwthe heat transfer surfaces of such i apparatus` i f The invention is especially concerned with the f cleaning of the heat transfer surfaces in a rotary i regenerative air preheater of the Ljungstrom type such as is disclosed in Patent 1,558,445. In this apparatus the heat transfer surface consists of spaced metallic plates mounted in a Vrotor turning'to position them rst in the path of gases to absorb heat and then in an air stream to impart the heat thereto. Scot and otherdeposits entrained in the gases accumulate on `the heat transfer plates and thereforeV it is desirable to clean themto maintain the efciencyof the heater. One method of cleaning `them is with jets of Water, and the present invention contemplates provisionof a cleaning nozzle in thek air passage movable across thel heat transfer plates and actuatedzdirectly by the rotor'body `when it is in operation. v

The present inventionvw'ill be best understood upon consideration of the following detailedv description of an illustrative embodiment thereof when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: y

Figurel is a partial plan vieW of an air. preheater equipped with cleaningY apparatus embodyingthe present invention;

viewed on the line 2-'2 in Figure 1; Y

Figure 3 is a fragmentary side elevation as viewed on the line 3 3 in Figures 1 and 2; and

Figure 4 is a vertical sectiona1 view on an enlarged scale as seen on the line 4-4 of Figure v3.l

The apparatus comprises a rotor, designated as a whole by the numeral I mounted within a housing Il, the rotor being drivenat slowspeed 4 of metallic heat transfer plates I 6 maintained.

in spaced relation vto provide passages therebetween for the flow of gas and air axially of the rotor. Opposite each end of the rotor a stationary sector plate I 1 is provided formed with openings for the ow of gas and air, the air opening '31, Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectional elevation as post. Circumferentially wards its center. Thenozzle 30 is carried ,at the` 'rotor l0 and nozzle pipe 3| lsupply pipe 40.

beingdesignated 20 'in Fig. 1'. The gas passage' does `not appear inthe drawings. The air and gasopenings in the sector plateare separated by itsimperforate portions ZIfwhich areat leastas Wide as the maximum width of the sector-shaped vcoxnpanitmentsof the rotor sothat radial seals 22r on the partitions I4 bywiping against the parts 2| prevent cross ilow'of air. and gas between Y their respective passages.y .The constructionv describedabove is conventional. i l,

The washing, apparatus comprises a nozzle 30 kdisposed in the airpassage opposite theheat tranfer plates ISJfor. directingjets of cleaning fluid upon them asjthey pass` slowly beneath the i nozzle while the latter is moved step by step yin an arcuate path from the rim of the rotor t0- lnner end `of a pipe 3| provided at its outerend wtih a T 32 connecting it with ahollow shafty 33v journalled for rotation about a vertical axis in bearings 34, 35 mounted in the top andrbottom platesl of a box-like housing. 36 projecting outwardlyfrom the vconnecting plate 31 that forms an extension ofthe yI I. To permit oscillation ovfgnozzle pipe 3| a slot 38l ofrequired size is provided opposite the outer Wall 33 of the-box-like housing, the escape of airJbeing-fprevented bythe housingthat encloses the outer end of the nozzle pipe. v`Water is suppliedy to the oscillation vnozzle pipe i 3| from a supply pipe 40, asuitzatble.connection permitting the rotation ofthehollovvshaft 33 While main-r taining fluid communication between t and the For electing rotation of the shaft 33 and movement of the nozzle pipe 3| in an arcuate path'the shaft is provided with a Worm Wheel 4I meshing with a worm 43 carried by a shaft i4 disposed transversely withy respectto shaft 33 andV extending through the side Wall of the housing to a position'closely adjacent the j provided with a star rotor shell |3 where it is wheel 45. Wheel 45 is engageable by a pin 46 mountedon a bracket 4l projecting from the rotor shell I3. Several pins 46 may be spaced about periphery of the rotor l0 or only onemay be utilized depending upon the number of in'- crements of movement it is desired to impart to the nozzley pipe 3| for' each rotation-of the rotor. The relative speedof movement of the and consequently moving the nozzle A to the innerof its arcuate path movement are the period of time required for 3|] from the outermost point most point B determined by the speed of rotor IIJ, the` numside wall of housing ber of pins 45 carried thereby and the gear ratio of worm 43 and worm wheel 4|.

From the above it may be seen that each rotation of rotor I imparts one or more increments of movement to the nozzle 30 and thereby causes it to be displaced inwardly above the heat transfer surface I6 a pre-determined distance over. its arcuate range for each rotation of the rotor. When the nozzle reaches the innermost point`B in its travel the operating mechanism for advancing the nozzle pipe 3l step by step must be disconnected to avoid breakage. This is controlled by the mechanism presently to be described.

The worm 43 While rotatable. by the shaft 44 that carries the star Wheel 45 is not xed thereto. A longitudinal or axial key connection 45 between worm 43 and the shaft 44 permits vaxial movement of the latter, While worm 43 is heldin bracket 55, to carry star wheel 45 outwardly intoV al position beyond the circular path of movement of the pin 46 carried by the rotor ill. The shaft 44 is biased to its outer positiony by a spring '5B mounted between the bracket in which the shaft is journalled and a sleeve or collar located outwardly thereof. However the shaft is held in position to maintain the star wheel 45 aligned with the path of pin 46 by a stop or pin 52 carried by a locking lever 53 and engaged with the outer face of the coilar 5l so as to prevent the spring 50 from moving the star wheel 45 from its operative position. Lever 53 is pivoted at 54 on the bracket 55 so that when the nozzle 3D' has been moved to the inner point B of its 4i of the driving mechanism engages a cam 58 on the under side of the locking lever 53 and raises it. When the locking lever 53 is in its raised position the pin 52 is disengaged from the spring sleeve or collar 5l, permitting the spring to move the shaft 44 outwardly in an axial `direction to position the star wheel 45 so thatA itis no longer engageable by the pin 4B carried bythe rotor. Consequently the rotor may continus to turn without traversing the nozzle 3D- traverse, a pin 51 onthe worm wheel ment of said nozzle.

operative position. In any event inward movement of the shaft 44 should be accomplished at a time either when the rotor is not turning or during the .interval when a pin 46 carried thereby has not reached the position of the star wheel45 in lorder to avoid possibility of damage. The crank 6l! may be employed for manually traversing the nozzle 30 across the heat transfer' plates to wash them at times when the rotor I5 is not operating, turning of the latter being 'then effected by hand. While the rotor is turningv the crank may also be usedinthe intervals' between periodic engagements of the pin 4E with the star Wheel 45 to traverse the nozzle more rapidly across the heat transfer surface.

' What we claimis: n

In an air preheater or the like having a housing formed with parallel passages for hot gases and'air, a rotor for carrying heat transfer' plates into the gas pass to absorb heat and then into the' air passage to impart the heat thereto, and a cleaning nozzle mounted for movement transversely of therotor for directing fluid onto the' heat 'transfer plates carried thereby, a shaft operatively associated with said nozzle, and means operatively connecting said rotor and said shaft for actuating the latter during operation of said rotor so as to move said nozzle transversely of the rotor; means supporting said shaft for axial movement; locking means for holding said shaft against said axial movement; means operative upon movement of said nozzle' to a predetermined point in its arcuate path for releasing said locking means; and means adapted on release of said locking means to move said shaft axially to interrupt its 'operative connection with said rotor for discontinuing the Vmove- WILLrAM D. Yannick; JOHN e. VICKLAND. 

